Oct. 19, 2009 6:58 p.m. | Wauwatosa East High School looked like it had been under attack earlier this month - from a paintball strike, that is.

A 15-year-old West Allis boy who attends school at East was arrested for disorderly conduct after he brought a backpack full of paintballs into school and spent the first two periods of the school day hurling orange and pink paint around the second-floor hallway, restrooms and library, according to a Wauwatosa police report released this week.

Students tried to stay clear of the paint splatters in the Oct. 6 incident, but their shoes tracked the paint throughout the building and left janitors with numerous messes to clean up.

In the hallways, the floors were covered with paint footprints. Administrators estimated 20 paintballs had been thrown at the walls, ceiling and floor in one bathroom.

The student was found sitting with a friend outside the boys locker room, where another 20 paintballs were found in a garbage can. The friend had a paintball in her purse, which she said the boy had just given her.

11:18 a.m. | A juvenile was taken into custody after bringing knives to Wauwatosa East High School, 7500 Milwaukee Ave., at 2:45 p.m. Feb. 28, according to a report through the Wauwatosa Police Department.

10:15 a.m. | The construction worker who died at the Zoo Interchange project Feb. 28 "came into contact" with a drill rig while he was installing tiebacks on a retaining wall, according to Chris Zortman, Milwaukee area director for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA is investigating the incident with assistance from the Milwaukee County sheriff's office.

Although many details are still unknown, the sheriff's office has reported that 33-year-old Ryan C. Calkins of Brookfield was pronounced dead on the scene near Interstate 94 and 91st Street about 7:41 a.m. Feb. 28.

Fran McLaughlin, director of support services for the sheriff's office, said Calkins was involved in a "machinery accident" but did not clarify what happened because of the ongoing investigation. She said the sheriff's office and Brookfield police helped interview witnesses, notified family members, and are now assisting OSHA with its investigation.

March 02, 2015 3:00 p.m. | After more than three years of business in the Wauwatosa Village, the owners of Twirly Birds moved their vintage store to a larger space in Waukesha in August.

But owners Kim Jenkins and Penny Stark said they have missed Wauwatosa and are planning to return to the city at 6429 W. North Ave. If they receive the necessary approvals from the city, they hope to open the last week in March.

"We miss the quaintness, and our customers," Stark said.

Stark said she and Jenkins had always wanted to stay in Wauwatosa, but couldn't find a large enough location in the city when they outgrew their store in the Village. The new space on North Avenue is bigger than both their old store and their current location in Waukesha.

"When we saw an opportunity, we looked at it and thought it was perfect," Stark said.

March 02, 2015 8:15 a.m. | Dong Sin, owner of Westwood Dry Cleaners in Wauwatosa, is hoping to expand his business next door to the old City Market location at 8725 W. North Ave.

Sin purchased the building in October for $595,000. City Market owners Jeff Swanson and Julie Hollingsworth said at the time that there weren't enough customers to support the restaurant with another location close by on Watertown Plank Road. They had operated the North Avenue location for about eight years.

Sin's application to the city to allow dry cleaning in the building states that his business is growing and he needs more space.

"The applicant's current property has limited space and the customer base is expanding, since there are upcoming and new developments in Wauwatosa," the application says.

Feb. 27, 2015 5:04 p.m. | Glennon Doyle Melton, author of a popular blog about motherhood and marriage called "Momastery," will be speaking at Wauwatosa East High School 10 a.m. June 6.

Tickets will be available April 6 for $19, which includes a copy of Melton's book "Carry On, Warrior." Proceeds will be donated to Milwaukee's Cribs for Kids program.

The event is organized by Firefly Real Estate, with additional sponsorship by Great Midwest Bank.

Colleen Sprague, owner of Firefly Real Estate, said Melton changed her outlook on life and she hopes to expose more people to Melton's writing.

"Her words have changed me and really made my outlook so much more positive," Sprague said. "Hosting Glennon in Wauwatosa is an opportunity to share her story with others while encouraging a culture of authenticity and supportiveness in the community that sometimes isn't there."

That was the comment of Wauwatosa 138-pound wrestler Ben Reagan after he defeated West Allis Central's Mauricio Cardoso, 9-2, to advance to the semifinals of the WIAA State Individual Tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison Thursday night.

Reagan (41-2), who had also defeated Cardoso in a tournament back in December, joined 126-pound teammate Justin Folley (44-1), who also advanced to the semifinals after a 10-3 decision over Andrew McIntosh of Oak Creek.

It is the second straight trip to the semifinals for Folley, who wound up fifth in state last season while at Milwaukee Riverside.

"I feel very confident right now," said Folley. "The best part of the day for me was even though I was tired I still kept pushing on through."

As a teacher of family and consumer education, Bruesewitz has led ProStart teams to state championship competitions three years, bringing home a first place win in 2012. ProStart, administered by the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, is a two-year curriculum on the restaurant industry that involves hands-on culinary competitions throughout the country.

"Barb's contributions to education, extracurricular programming, and foundation work all show an unmatched passion for the industry and make her very well-deserving of this commendation," Alex Newman, ProStart coordinator for the Wisconsin Restaurant Association Education Foundation, said in a news release.

Feb. 25, 2015 11:03 a.m. | The Wauwatosa Kiwanis Club and Wauwatosa high school key clubs are hosting a pancake breakfast 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 1 at Wauwatosa West High School, 11400 W. Center St. Money raised at the breakfast will support scholarships for four Wauwatosa students.

In addition to pancakes, there will be scrambled eggs, sausage, applesauce, coffee, orange juice and milk. There will also be music, games, face painting and raffles.

Tickets are $7 in advance, $8 at the door, and $5 for kids 12 and under. Advanced tickets are available at both high schools, or by calling Ken Snyder at (414) 459-4567.

Feb. 24, 2015 12:17 p.m. | As part of Tosa's All-City Read, a program encouraging all Wauwatosa residents to read the same book together, nine students and adults have won awards for essays on the topic of portaging.

The topic is central to this year's All-City Read book, "Orphan Train," in which the characters have to decide what to take with them and what to leave behind on their journeys, or portages. Some of the winning writers wrote about their own lives, while others interviewed family members.

The fire was reported shortly before noon at the home of the girl's grandparents in the 500 block of N. 106th St. The girl was identified as Faith Ann Cruz and her cause of death was listed as smoke inhalation, according to the medical examiner. Her death was ruled an accident.

A passer-by called 911 at 11:48 a.m. Sunday and told dispatchers the house was on fire and one person had suffered burns, according to a Wauwatosa Fire Department news release.

A man was found outside with significant burns and told firefighters that a child was still in the house. The man suffered serious injuries and was taken to Columbia St. Mary's Regional Burn Center in Milwaukee, according to the Fire Department. His condition was not known on Monday.

The cause of the fire remained undetermined on Monday, but it was believed to have started in the basement of the one-story house.

Feb. 23, 2015 11:48 a.m. | The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's Commission on Monday approved a $6.4 million flood control project with a levee along the Menomonee River in Wauwatosa.

A contract awarded to Ram's Contracting Ltd. of Lannon includes construction of a 1,000-foot-long soil berm south of State St., between 60th and 63rd streets. The hillside between the levee and the river will be excavated to provide storage space for floodwater.

The project includes removal of an underground culvert south of State St. that contains the flow of Schoonmaker Creek. Nearly 400 feet of the creek will be opened to daylight and allowed to run free to the river.

Feb. 22, 2015 11:42 p.m. | The victim of a house fire at 504 N. 106th St. in Wauwatosa Sunday has been identified as 3-year-old Faith Ann Cruz, according to the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office.

According to reports from the office, the house fire was at Cruz's grandparents' house. The first 911 call about the fire came from a passerby at 11:48 a.m. Sunday, the Wauwatosa Police Department reported.

Firefighters on the scene found a man outside the home with significant burns. The man told firefighters there was still a child in the house. He was transported to Columbia St. Mary's Regional Burn Center and his current condition is unknown, the fire department reported.

Inside the home, firefighters said they found Cruz unresponsive and took her to a waiting paramedic unit. She arrived at Children's Hospital at about 12:20 p.m. and was pronounced dead at 12:46 p.m.

According to the medical examiner's reports, Cruz did not have any burns and it appeared she died from smoke inhalation.

Feb. 20, 2015 10:42 p.m. | A proposed $6.4 million flood control project with a levee along the Menomonee River in Wauwatosa would liberate nearly 400 feet of a tributary stream flowing underground in a culvert.

A 1,000-foot-long soil berm with a clay core would be built south of State St. and a rail line, east of 63rd St., to create the levee as part of the project, said Jennifer Wright, a senior project manager with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. The low berm would be similar in size to levees built as part of a Hart Park flood control project along the river.

The MMSD Commission will be asked Monday to award the contract to Ram's Contracting Ltd. of Lannon. The business was the lowest bidder among five companies competing for the job.

The work is one piece of a larger plan to reduce flooding of more than 360 residences and businesses in Wauwatosa and Milwaukee, and it will provide an opportunity to return the lower Schoonmaker Creek to daylight and let it run free to the river, MMSD officials said.

The creek emerges from storm sewers at W. Lloyd St. and flows through the Washington Highlands in Wauwatosa. It enters a large pipe at Milwaukee Ave. and flows underground in a culvert for more than a half-mile to its confluence with the river.

Feb. 20, 2015 1:50 p.m. | Wauwatosa police are warning residents not to leave their cars running unattended to warm them up before driving. Five cars left with the keys in the ignition have been stolen in the city in just the past week, Wauwatosa Police Lieutenant Brian Zalewski said.

"You are taking a chance if you leave your vehicle unlocked with the keys in it, even if it's just for a few minutes," Zalewski said. "If you're going to warm your car you need to keep eyesight on it or stay near it. It only takes a matter of minutes for your car to disappear."

Including two stolen just this morning, idling cars have been taken at the following times and locations:

about 9:25 a.m. Feb. 20 in the 7800 block of Eagle Street

about 8:25 a.m. Feb. 20 in the 9000 block of North Avenue

about 8:10 a.m. Feb. 19 in the 9300 block of Hope Avenue

about 7:50 a.m. Feb. 18 in the 3200 block of N. 104th Street

about 8:35 a.m. Feb. 14 in the 4500 block of 110th Street

Zalewski said the numbers during the recent cold spell are above average. Before this week, he said the department only knew of three idling cars stolen in the city since Jan. 1.